Needle-clamp.



J. M. MERROW.

NEEDLE CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, I913.

Patented Nov. 16, 1915.

mummy]; PLANDGRAPH c v srarns Parana mea I JOSEPH M. MERROW', OF HARTFORD,CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE MERROW i MACHINE COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A. CORPORATION OF CON- NECTICUT.

NEEDLE- CLAMP.

icence.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Nov. ie, 1915.

Application filed May 28, 1913. Serial o. 770,508.

and useful Improvements in Needle-Clamps;

and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thls speclfication, and to the figures and letters of reference thereon. P

This invention relates to an improved needle-clamp wherein means are provided for accurately positioning and securely holding needles.

Objects of the presentainvention are to provide a needle clamp of simple design and substantial construction which will accurately center and clamp the needle securely in place; to improve the form and arrangement of the centering and clamping means, to simplify the form of the parts whereby the manufacture of the same is facilitated and to provide bearing faces for cooperation with the needle which grip the needle at widely separated points and which'will not be liable to become worn or damaged by long continued use.

The invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

To more clearly illustrate the invention, I have shown and described but a single embodiment thereof applied to a needle carrier of the typeused on the well known Merrow overseaming machines, the said embodiment being particularly adapted for holding and centering curved needles with stralght slabbed shanks.

In the drawings: Figure l is an elevation of the needle carrier of a Merrow overseaming machine, showing a needle and clamping mechanism embodying the present invention. Fig.2 is an elevation-of the structure shown in Fig. 1 from a point of View at the left of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view, in the same elevation as the Fig. l, of a por tion of the needle carrier alone, showing details in the construction of this-portion of the carrier that forma partof myj inventionJFig. 4 is an elevationlookingfat the left hand sideof the part shown "in Fig. 3.

sections as seenrin Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is aplan view of the part shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Fig. 6 is an elevation corresponding to Fig. 2 but on an enlarged scale, of the clamp plate alone. Fig. 7 is an elevation looking at the left hand side of the plate shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of a portion of parts shown in Fig. 2

with the stop pin omitted to more clearlyshow the manner in which the needle is held. Fig. 9 is an elevation looking at the opposite side of the needle from that in the Fig. 1 to display. the slabbed shank.- Fig. 10 is a cross sectional view of the needle shank on the line 10-1O of Fig. 9.": g 7

Throughout the drawings like characters of reference indicate like parts. 7

Referring to, the embodiment illustrated in the drawings: theletter 0 indicates the needle carrier adapted to be fulcrumed at T and actuated through the pin L, and the upper portion or head 0 of which (see Figs. 3, 4c and 5) is constructed to embody certain elements of my improved needle clamp. The said head 0 of the carrier C is provided with an integral seat for the needle shank formed by two surfaces'c and 0 c preferably plane surfaces intersecting one another at right angles and forming a right angled dihedron. faces are determined by the position in which it is desired to secure the needle, since it is against these surfaces that the needle shank is clamped, as hereinafter more full explained. A bore 0* throughthe head 0 is provided for the passage of the stud B and in order that the needle shank may pass through a hole Z) in the stud and yet bear against the surface 0 0 the bore 0 is cut down into the surface 0 0 thus dividing the otherwiseplane surface into the two The bore c is counterbored at c Where it enters the head 0 to receive the head 5 of the stud B. To insure the alinement of the hole I) in the studB with the surface 0 0 as well as to turning when its nut face of'the clamp plate P as hereinafter exthe said, projection or shelf I test, .s'hidw 4 plainecl and-shoald be mountain at the parallel to a plane dividing the dihedral" angle giorlned' by thesurtaces theneedlle shankjseat as, is shown 'inithe drawings.

pl i pla e in pqs t ot es the. clamp,

in, i s, 2? d 8,- i lesmi e e 21:

' d pte t b ide i t a d; to ng t 5 ld, e Se -a e 22",, in r-- Y l e iih iti t e the needle agains both .snriaces of. the, needle" shank, seat,

1 shoiilda asl'showyng lie; in some; plane normal to a plane that di v :1?- m l i e 't e me he lamps then readylto receive theneedl a 1 5' he d he ral an t rme fbyfihen i @116: h k Sea en thn beif li e 1 "m -d1 eie ee 9'j bethi Q -,-1 he 'il e le s etsu ce? p I a edle clamp is assembled, as

c a nei V 1 V s ve in i sea' -e 1 h see whic fits in projects from the, head d as sh ne, Pa se ith! ei 't ble.; eara1 through the spell ng 22 the .e amp p at 'Tzhe sh ek se edt o flieineede o; clamps is;

the'fslab ed i aefifi-Toff l e sha k tils ei edztd the s i tae 1 h tpesit en, t

fen needle shank -is slipped. into the clamp and thliqlighthehole, b in the stud- B until the ,end of the said shank abuts, the stop pins as-ShQ-Wn in Figs. l. and 2. l The engagementfof slalobed face 70, of the ee e eha w h th S tin ur ace:

insures: itlie propen rptatiye, positioning of .theheedlje ab'ont, the axis of the needleishank is 71; l and also I locates the needle plane Q of the face 6?, Whenthe nntA 1s tlgh-te ned;

the clamp p teF etv i e ih tame he. h n the ur a s 1 2 e tle on thfi clamp Seat 0 andthe' periphery of needle e shank asfshoWm in Eigs. 2: and 8 wi h l i iee action c t a 21 Wi e 7 a clamping surfaee' wherehy' the needle 7 withthei Seating surface. 0' d e to the ai shank is 1 ferced v against and :into contact erect action'of the bolt and nnt sa eli he a d l in SH QQQ; Ps exe t werl ne ecl i h w aye-9 tion of thefladjac'ent. periphery ofthe; needle shank intoijcontafit'withi the snrfacefc.

Ihe' cooperatmgfi e 7 'n 19 i a'. sliding v fnlcr'nn' 7" blaring the clamping of the I needle: by holding the cl anfip plate against being Ino'yedby the'wedging action of the surfacew f, by-dra ing or tending o I an he d mplplfl e. a al y in valnrmnnerfto snpplement the Wedging "action 'offthe euri iqe 22?, fle y unpq ti eth .e a s leep' eateedl F 1 Q PB Ple e ee e QWJR Q i-$1 9ie lil i surface. at he "ti -Y.

n t n lee ect J T e head f' n th vp t P are preferably beVeledat-OT andpiior the ehpw et 1' he; ne dle se tin su fese 0?,- -c 0, and the clamping snrgface V pf p w th between the needle shank and the clamp rseati-as is best shown'injFig. 8' or" the drawings. l Th sur -aces and the'pressure between them si ninlta neonsly centers and olampsthe needle. Srnici'ent clearance is allowed between the bottom vQ- t;l} ;1ZQQGSS and the face 0 to insure the clamping of the needle shank and to permit a variation inthe size, thereof.

Cam of the needle shak ninth said distri-bn te p ressure ofthe studand nut It Will be noted that there aretWO Qppos -e? inc ined; sur ae's 2? n p 5 andhat t hefneedle is held bythreej plane. surfaces and not in, semi circular grooves wherein it s lia le in s ck, lifi l' Qli y$ ajble gcleara ee pnoyided between the stud 7' n ;.th he 1e42% the c mnis qu s n t9 the Pr su e of; -n t; o that he t ee as soon asthe pres snne of the perieese l fi i ng n edl ead: ward the center line ofthe'needle and; .pre-

i a-eet as lbeeqmine entangled th o ab ed by the clamp. g 7' a Wh e I a confined my de cr p i n" to he e cfilim nt i lu tra e n t e raw ng 1} do 'not limitjmysel t to the specific carrier strnoti-on, shown;

- flavirrgv thus descr bed my inventionWhat liolaim as new and desire to secure by" Letters-Batent of the United, States is l 1 A needle clampembodying the';oom-

d sor-ibedgnor to. the exact detailsof coniaces; lyingnn intersecting; planes v and formedon the carrying. me nhen and 7 Q1} th arri P Ql Q si e ti ti; sl w Swans r a ormed, on th id of e pri ie le on s tei t heaee dle seating surface thereon, a clamping member hav ng a recess provided W th-d1- verging, side walls, one of said side walls h me e e t d ga e the amp s a enof saidgside Walls being adapt edfto; clamp s the needle shank against the painot needlessh-ank, seating, surfaces of the carrying member, and means for drawing the clamp plateto the carrier a'll snhstanas, shownand desonibed.

f r shamed; fiee le 2.11] a Ii edle cl mliieatioe w h r in me e a e Plane d v in i he a g e ind de xbe ii ffe'eeiw ih n iPer t -ve act en J and the otl ewe fletfi a ne d e-r n a ng sur a dia T m' e er en n the n ine iei et h fi emilhee ea sa a ge ,tol ei zert lt pressure in a direction inclined-to clamp head, whereby the clamp plate may be caused to exert a wedging action on the needle shank to force the same against the needle engaging surfaces of the clamp head substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

3. A needle clamp embodying the combination of a clamp head having a shelf portion thereon, a needle shank seat comprising a' pair of diverging surfaces arranged one on the clamp head and one on the shelf portion, the said surfaces being adapted to engage the needle shank at widely separated points of its perimeter, a clamp plate adapted to present a clamping surface to the perimeter of the needle shank, a clamp seat inclined in the direction of a plane dividing the angle included between the surfaces of the needle shank seat, a surface on the clamp plate for engaging theclamp seat, means for forcing the clamp plate surfaces against the needle shank and the clamp seat respectively in a direction inclined obliquely with respect to the surface of the clamp seat whereby the needle shank is forced against one of the surfaces of the shank seat by the direct pressure of the clamp forcing means and is forced against the companion face of the shank seat by the wedging action of the clamp seat.

4. In combination in a needle clamp for slabbed shank needles, a clamp head provided with a pair of substantially integral diverging needle shank seating surfaces one of which is adapted to engage the slabbed portion of the needle shank, and a clamp seat inclined in the direction of a plane dividing the angle between the needle shank seating surfaces, a clamp plate having a pair of diverging surfaces adapted to straddle the clamp seat and the shankoof the needle to be clamped, and clamping means for forcing the clamp plate against the clamp seat and the needle shank whereby the clamp seat and the, inclined surfaces of the clamp plate force the needle against the needle shank seating surfaces both in the direction of and in direction transverse to the direction of the pressure of the said clamping constraining the clamp having its axis extending in a direction illmeans, thereby simultaneously clamping and centering the needle.

5. In a needle, clamp for slabbed shank needles, a clamp head having a pair of diverging surfaces 0 and c 0 forming a seat for engaging the slabbed face of the needle shank and the periphery thereof, a stop 8 against which the end of the needle shank is. abutted, a clamp plate P having a surface pdisposed in a plane normal to a plane dividing the angle included between the surfaces 0 and 0 0 means for laterally plate P, a stud B clined obliquely with respect to the surface 79 and a nut for the said stud, whereby the surface 70 is forced against the needle shank to clamp the slabbed face of the needle shank and force a portion of the periphery thereof against the diverging surfaces of the said needle shank seat with a combined clamping and wedging action, scribed.

- 6. In a needle clamp for slabbed shank needles, a clamp head having a pair of diverging surfaces 0 and c c formingat once a seat for the slabbed face and a seat for the periphery of the needle shank, and a clamp seat surface 0 inclined in a direction parallel to a plane dividing the angle in cluded between the surfaces 0 and 0 0 a clamp plate P having a needle engaging su" face 79 and a clamp seat engaging surface 79 the said surface 72 cooperating with the surface 0 of the clamp seat to provide a sliding fulcrum for the clamp plate, and clamping means adapted to draw the clamp plate toward the clamp head in a direction inclined obliquely to the surface 0 whereby the surface 72 of the clamp plate is forced against the shank of a needle simultaneously in the direction of the line of pressure ofthe said clamping means and in a verse thereto, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

JOSEPH M. MERROW. Witnesses:

GEORG ALLEN PAGE, E. P. GERHARDT;

Copies of this patent niay be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C.

directon transsubstantially as dee 

